DTG Magazine Product of the Year : FoxL Bluetooth Speaker

by Fred Showker

FoxLv2 Platinum Bluetooth Audio Purists’ Ultimate Hifi Portable Speakers actually deliver on their advertising claims -- and then some! Yes, we got the promo from Karen Thomas -- and she's usually pretty much on the money -- but they were strong words, we'd heard before. I was detirmined to get a good set of portable speakers for use in the Roadtrek and on the road. But I really didn't decide to make the leap until I saw the Jordan video.

Karen sent me the info on Soundmatters portable speakers and it included a link to Jordan Rudas' video. I'm a HUGE fan of Jordan -- probably the most talented musician in the industry today -- so I had to look. I had already heard and tested the Bose SoundLink Bluetooth Mobile Speakers which are truly amazing, as usual for Bose, but too big to carry along. We had also listened to and played with the Jawbone JAMBOX Wireless Bluetooth Speakers which were also pretty nice -- but short battery life, and still a bit large for real portability. I checked out the Jabra SOLEMATE Bluetooth Portable Speakers which are pretty awesome speakers, but still a little large, and really didn't have the bass response.

All were close to the same price, but the FoxL had Jordan's endorsement so I jumped. As you can see in the photo, it's going to fit in my gear bag hands down, and will sit anywhere in the Roadtrek, or outside for tailgating. Designed by former NASA engineer/audio legend Dr. Godehard Guenther, this little beauty has a special battery cover that doubles as a bass woofer -- and it does deliver bass! It takes full advantage of CSR apt-X’s dramatic improvement in streamed Bluetooth signal from apt-X equipped devices. The hook-up was quick and painless, and works transparently on iPad, iPhone and the Lion MacBook Pro. And the sound is HUGE. I jammed along with acoustic guitar players -- loading my iPad with "Pocket Organ" the Hammond B3 app, and filled the blues quartet with Hammond riffs.

This little speaker delivers big sound and all the claims Soundmatters made. But don't take my word for it, just listen to Jordan . . .

foxLv2 PLATINUM Bluetooth Key Features:

Virtual CD-Quality Bluetooth music: wirelessly with CSR apt-X*

Better wired for sound with included Audioquest cable.

Battery Life that’s even more impressive: Up to 10 Hours (or more) Bluetooth On, up to 20 Hours (or more) Bluetooth off.

Although I paid $229 for mine, (I travel and the flxv2plt-bt Foxl v2 "international" comes with plugs for various countries in Europe, South America and Africa) -- you can get a version for $199 = the original Soundmatters foxLv2 in black, or for the non-bluetooth version as low as $149. When you arrive at any of these pages, you'll also find some pretty cool accessories like a bike clip for your handlebars, a car clip for dash-mounting, carry-case and even a "stereo" version to slaves two FoxLs together for stereo!

Soundmatters International, Inc. www.soundmatters.com was founded in 1998 by physicist, former NASA engineer, and audio design legend Dr. Godehard Guenther. A world-renowned pioneer in the field of audio, Dr. Guenther introduced many firsts to the audio market, including the world’s first in-wall speaker; in-wall subwoofer; component loudspeaker for car hi–fi; switching power supply for car hi–fi; multi–channel car amplifier; hi–fi television monitor; and first complete digital time-delay system for surround sound. Through Soundmatters, Dr. Guenther is dedicated to developing exceptional performance audio products that enhance, rather than complicate consumer’s lifestyles. foxLv2 has received numerous rave reviews, including a review from Sound+Vision, that called foxL “the absolute best gift ever for audiophiles,” TIME Magazine, that chose foxL the “Top Ten Gadget of the Year,” and Men’s Journal that named foxL “BEST in CLASS.” In addition, Soundmatters licenses the foxL technology to Jawbone®. For more information, see www.soundmatters.com.

DTG(TM) and 60-Second Windows(TM) have been published continuously online since 1988. The Design & Publishing Center is a Spam-Free web site and welcomes your articles, comments and contributions. Graphic-Design.com and The Design & Publishing Center is a wholly owned subsidiary of Showker, Inc., TA. Showker Graphic Arts & Design, and is located in Harrisonburg, Virginia; in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, USA, established in 1972. 540-433-8402.